1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to Automated Highway Systems (AHS), and more particularly to a lateral vehicle control apparatus using a laser sensor which can be used for automated lane-keeping applications including automated lane-keeping in Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) systems.
2. Description of the Background Art
Interest in Automated Highway Systems is strong in the United States, and interest in Advanced Vehicle Control systems (AVCS) for automobiles is high throughout the world. As a result, a number of technologies for automated vehicle control have emerged. Many of these technologies, however, rely on installation of a reference system which requires significant modification of the current highway infrastructure, thus making deployment of the AHS technologies more difficult than necessary. Therefore, there is a need for an alternative approach to the lateral control of automobiles which does not require specialized roadway reference markers and, therefore, is economical to install and maintain. The present invention satisfies those needs, as well as others, and overcomes deficiencies in previously developed AHS or AVCS technologies.